Tribunal
by Deep Metal
Summary: The Beast Wars are over and Megatron is being put on trial for his crimes. Will justice finally prevail or will evil have the last laugh after all?


Disclaimer: Beast Wars is property of Hasbro, Mainframe, Inc.

**Tribunal**

Author's Note: _This standalone features a post-BW Megatron standing trial for his crimes. None of the events in Beast Machines will have occurred in this story. You can tell I'm not a big fan of BM, eh?_

If anything, Megatron was prepared. The Beast Wars had long been over and now, he was standing trial for the crimes he had committed. They ranged from mild theft to charges of genocide.

He had quite a track record indeed.

Megatron slowly went over the events in his head that had happened over the past few years. First, he had stolen the golden discs from the Maximals. After that, he had crash-landed on prehistoric Earth and began the Beast Wars, a small-scale war of epic proportions. For years, he had fought the Maximals, led by Optimus Primal, on that forsaken planet. He had accomplished much in that time from nearly destroying the human race to almost erasing the Autobots and the Maximals from existence.

He smiled to himself. After all that, there was no WAY the Maximals were going to let him off with a slap to the wrist.

"You are certain that you wish to defend yourself throughout your trial?" asked the Maximal High Judge. "Know that we will provide you with a lawyer should you be unable to attain one."

"Most certainly," smiled Megatron. "I have no intention of being swindled by a paper-pushing bureaucrat of this regime!"

The Maximal High Judge stared at Megatron as if he had willingly signed his own death sentence. Megatron's expression, however, did not faze.

"Very well," declared the High Judge. "You have made your decision."

Megatron took the opportunity to reflect. The Transmetal dragon body he had gained during the Beast Wars was now gone. They had forcibly removed his spark and placed it within the body of a barely functional drone. True, he still had arms and legs to move about effectively, but he had no more power beyond that. The only thing he did have was his face, which was the one physical trait that resembled his former self.

Despite being quite harmless now, he was still shackled extensively. The Maximal Elders took special care to make sure that he was immobile for his trial.

Megatron had never felt so violated. From the moment the Maximals on Earth tied him up to the situation he was facing now, a sense of defilement filled his thoughts at his treatment by the Maximals.

True, he was treated as humanely as could be for a Predacon war criminal who had nearly conquered Cybertron, but his sense of regality could not bear the mere thought of being held captive by his most hated enemies.

Though Megatron did not wish to face death, he found himself feeling that he would have had more respect for Optimus Primal if the Maximal leader had simply killed him instead of bringing him to trial to be denigrated and humiliated further.

Megatron sighed. Maybe he didn't have much of a track record after all. Not once did he succeed in any of his plans, though he did come close several times. The one thing he could boast about was that he had merged his spark with that of his namesake, the original Megatron!

And even now, it seemed quite useless. He no longer had the spark of his predecessor with him. It also seemed unlikely that the Maximals would believe his tale. After all, at this point, not even a shred of atoms from the first Megatron remained in his spark chamber. He had been reduced from a once lofty revolutionary to a simple prisoner of war.

"You realize what it is that you are on trial for, correct?" asked the Maximal High Judge.

"Absolutely!" bellowed Megatron cheerfully. "Let's see now… theft, mass murder, crimes against sentient life, torture, inhumane treatment of fellow Cybertronians, crimes against peace, sedition, genocide…"

"You've made your point, Megatron," the High Judge broke in. "As you are now a defendant without a lawyer, you will be required to defend yourself without any outside help in the presence of witnesses."

"Gladly," chuckled Megatron slyly. The Maximal High Judge took notice of this with a flash of anger in his eyes but said nothing.

"So where are these so-called _witnesses_?" demanded Megatron in a more severe tone.

"Since the trial is coming to an end for today, we will have time for only one witness," replied the High Judge.

Megatron was intrigued. Which of those Transmetal Maximals on Earth would testify against him today?

His question was soon answered as Rattrap stepped in.

"Rattrap now, is it?" asked the High Judge. Rattrap nodded in agreement.

Megatron's eyes met with his old enemy's. Things were about to get interesting indeed.

Rattrap did not even wait for the judge to ask him to present his case.

"He ain't nothin' but a murderer and a scumbag!" growled Rattrap accusingly. "I say you kill this bastard and get it over with!"

"Such a violent temper," noted Megatron sourly, "and I was hoping we'd discuss this like civilized beings."

"In your time on Earth, what acts have you seen Megatron commit?" inquired the Maximal High Judge.

"Everything," explained Rattrap, "I've seen what he's done! Not only has he tried to kill me and my friends, but he nearly wiped out the human race along with our ancestors, the Autobots!"

"If I may, your honor," interrupted Megatron. "I believe Rattrap's testimony is riddled with far too much emotion to be accepted as evidence. Might I ask for a more neutral witness?"

The Maximal High Judge clearly sided more with Rattrap but for the pretense of neutrality, he was forced to take Megatron's consideration.

"Very well," he sighed. "I will weigh Rattrap's arguments within the next few days along with the testimonials of all other Maximals aboard the ill-fated Axalon."

This made Megatron much more assured. He'd have plenty of time for all his plans to bear fruit within the next few days of his trial. As he looked up, he saw the many faces of the Tribunal looking down upon him from their hovercrafts high up near the ceiling.

The Tribunal was a judicial group formed to deal with war criminals and other high-profile rogues. Currently, the Maximal High Judge was the one acting as the chief arbitrator in his case, although his position was subject to change within a few days. It consisted of mostly Maximal Elders with a few scattered Predacon officials. The most important of the Predacon officials in this group, noted Megatron, were the Tripredacus Council who leered down at him. He had a feeling that they wouldn't let him off the hook this time.

"Today's trial is concluded!" declared the High Judge. "Court is adjourned!"

* * *

"In you go!" growled Baal, security chief in charge of Megatron's cell division.

He rudely shoved Megatron within his cell. Baal was a Maximal only about the size of Optimus Primal in his pre-Transmetal stage. Still, he was still bigger and stronger than Megatron and that was the only thing that counted when keeping the pecking order in check.

"Arrogant buffoon," whispered Megatron under his breath. He did not like being handled this way by the Maximal but still wished to avoid any unnecessary confrontations when he was at an enormous disadvantage.

"What was that?" demanded Baal. He caught wind of whatever Megatron said under his breath.

"What I said, my dear Baal, was that I am in a position of unnecessary discomfort," said Megatron quickly to exercise damage control. "Would you be so kind as to release these energy bonds from my wrists? There really isn't much I can do in the state that I am currently in."

Megatron quickly regretted ever whispering that insult in the first place. Baal came over to him and struck him callously. As his arms were bound, Megatron could do nothing as he fell to the ground. Before he could attempt to get up, Megatron was kicked viciously across the face.

"Not so high and mighty, are you now?" laughed Baal as he ground his foot into Megatron's back.

Megatron gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out. He would not give his jailer any form of satisfaction.

Finally, Baal stopped and let Megatron catch his breath. "Once your trial is over, you'll be begging for death!"

"Your enthusiasm is uplifting," remarked Megatron sarcastically.

Baal walked away and locked Megatron's cell with reinforced bars. Megatron looked down at his own hands. They were bound so tightly that he would not be able to hands from each other. While it was disheartening, Megatron took consolation in the fact that he would be able to give his accounts to all of Cybertron tomorrow in front of the Tribunal.

* * *

"You are aware that we, your peers, are also within the Tribunal, correct?" asked General Ramhorn, one of the three members of the Tripredacus Council.

Megatron's trial had just begun. The Maximal High Judge had taken a back seat to allow a Predacon within the Tribunal to stand as adjudicator.

"Correct, General," replied Megatron, "and I am also conscious to the fact that the Tribunal needs only a majority consensus to convict me."

"You're well-versed in our laws," complimented Ramhorn who seemed pleasantly surprised by Megatron's wisdom. "It's a pity you can't obey them!"

"Oh, do get on with it!" Megatron yawned.

This did not rub General Ramhorn the right way. He spared a brief glance towards General Cicadacon and General Seaclamp who immediately nodded back.

Megatron noticed this as a small trickle of nervousness ran down his throat. Had he pushed his luck too far with the Tripredacus Council? Were they going to help indict him now?

"We now call the first witness of today up to the stand," announced General Ramhorn.

All of the surviving Maximals from the Beast Wars had arrived for his trial. Megatron watched as Blackarachnia was the first to walk up to the stand.

"Greetings, you are known as Blackarachnia, correct?" asked Ramhorn.

"Yes, your honor," replied Blackarachnia, "I'll be the first to testify."

"As noted," began General Ramhorn. "Yesterday's witness was tempered by too much passion for his words to count as evidence. Therefore, Blackarachnia, will you speak the truth without partiality in his place?"

"I'll do my best," confirmed the Transmetal II black widow.

* * *

Below in the seats, Cheetor and Rhinox had to restrain Rattrap from causing a big scene.

"Who does 'dat stinkin' Pred think he is not counting my testimony as evidence?" growled Rattrap. "They even scanned my files for the truth just yesterday!"

"Calm down, Rattrap," urged Rhinox. "It's Megatron's word against the six of ours! If we stay collected, we can put Megatron away in prison for good!"

"Now, Miss Arachnia," asked Ramhorn, "is it true that Megatron attempted to destroy a dormant Optimus Prime on a prehistoric Earth?"

"It's all true," replied Blackarachnia. "You can scan my memory banks for the information if you'd like. I won't object to a brief intrusion into my mind so long as it puts that power-hungry saurian away for good!"

"Then perhaps you'd like to tell them how you used to be under my command," interrupted Megatron in a pleasant tone, "or perhaps you'd like to tell them… no, _show_ them through your memory banks how _you_ were the one who aided me in supposedly assaulting Prime and nearly wiping out the Autobots!"

The Tribunal immediately gasped and began murmuring amongst themselves. Even though Megatron was within considerable distance from Blackarachnia, he saw her body tense visibly. When she did not say anything in return, he continued. The rest of the Tribunal listened with great interest.

"Or perhaps you'd like to tell them that your reasons for joining the Maximals were less than altruistic," continued Megatron. "Tell them that even though you joined the crew of Axalon, you still thirsted for power above all else! Tell them how you stole my Transmetal II device to further your own interests!"

Blackarachnia said nothing but lowered her head in shame. General Ramhorn stared down at her contemptuously.

"Do you still wish to submit to a memory scan?" asked the Predacon general. "Respect for the privacy of all sentient beings is guaranteed in this court. Know that if you withdraw now, you will be questioned no further on the matter."

"I… withdraw my testimony from this case," replied Blackarachnia. "There are some things in the past even I don't want this Tribunal to see."

Megatron chuckled under his breath. Blackarachnia was now defeated and he had won his first battle of the day. Still, there were four more encounters to go in the forms of Optimus, Silverbolt, Rhinox, and Cheetor.

* * *

High in the upper chambers of the room, Generals Seaclamp and Cicadacon smiled.

"We were right about Megatron being able to aptly defend himself," remarked General Seaclamp. "He is brilliant, without a doubt."

"But does he have the ability to win this battle?" asked General Cicadacon. "This is no normal trial, after all. Those accused of genocide and crimes against sentient life rarely get off this easily.

"Don't forget that there are only six accusers," reminded General Seaclamp. "Only four accusers now remain and they have no physical evidence to present. Their only option left is to submit to several memory scans and even then, their memories may be too tainted by partisan passions to be properly construed as evidence!"

"You sound as if you want Megatron to win this trial," joked Cicadacon.

"Don't be foolish," snarled Seaclamp. "I merely find Megatron to be quite fascinating, despite being the troublemaker he is."

* * *

"Silverbolt, is it?" asked General Ramhorn.

"Yes, your honor," replied the fuzor.

"Will you speak the truth as a witness to Megatron's crimes?"

"Yes, sir," came the respond.

General Ramhorn smiled. He had made sure to look up the psychological profiles of each Maximal standing before the Tribunal today in testimony. From what he had gleaned, he felt that he had learned their strengths, weaknesses, and habits. Silverbolt, the winged fuzor, would be the easiest to figure out and manipulate.

"I will ask you the same question I asked your spouse," said Ramhorn slowly. "Did Megatron attempt to destroy a dormant Optimus Prime?"

"Indeed he did," answered Silverbolt. "I swear this oath to Primus himself."

"Then perhaps you'd also like to confess to Primus how you were instrumental in helping me!" Megatron called out cheerfully. "Without your help, I would have been caught by the Maximals long beforehand!"

A collective gasp seemed to reverberate throughout the chamber. Megatron's smile only grew wider. The controversy he had helped to generate seemed unfathomable. Now nearly every single face within the Tribunal was looking at Silverbolt in suspicion and unease. Even the Maximals Elders were staring at him in disbelief. Everything was going according to Megatron's plans.

General Ramhorn's expression remained indecipherable. "Is this true, Silverbolt?"

Silverbolt looked down in shame.

"Yes."

"Are you willing to submit to a memory scan within these hallowed chambers?" asked General Ramhorn. "Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"I… will allow it," Silverbolt relented. "I cannot lie and if this is the only option to allow justice to prevail, then so be it."

Megatron chuckled deeply. He was doing a much better job than he originally gave himself credit for.

* * *

They knew everything now. Never had Silverbolt felt so violated before. All his ideals… all his feelings… all the memories of his journey to the Ark with Blackarachnia were revealed and laid out in the open.

They saw how he had disobeyed Optimus Primal's orders to shoot down Blackarachnia.

They saw how he pursued her despite Primal's orders to remain at base. They saw how he and Blackarachnia dug their way through the cave to reach the Ark. They heard Blackarachnia's declaration of how the powers of the Ark would be hers while Silverbolt looked on idly, without any idea as to what he had done. Worst of all, they saw how Megatron easily got to the Ark because of their actions. They even saw Blackarachnia willingly give Megatron the access codes.

Even though they didn't see Megatron actually blast Optimus Prime, the memories that the Tribunal saw were enough to galvanize them into a fury.

Although the Maximal High Judge was not the judge for today's trial, he was the first to rise and speak out angrily.

"Silverbolt and Blackarachnia! You are henceforth dismissed from this court for aiding and abetting the enemy! Any further confessions from either of you will result in separate trials for endangering the well being of Cybertron! Make your peace and leave at once!"

Without anything further to say, Silverbolt flew away from the podium. As he stopped near the seats where his comrades sat, he took Blackarachnia's hand and together, the two of them left.

Megatron saw the ghost of a smile across General Ramhorn's face.

"_Perhaps the Tripredacus Council sees the wisdom in siding with me after all,"_ he thought.

"This is just Prime," muttered Optimus.

Now, only he, Rhinox, and Cheetor remained. None of them actually saw Megatron blasting Optimus Prime. That was the one piece of crucial evidence they needed to indict Megatron. While they had the memories of a badly damaged Optimus Prime, the scene of Megatron actually attempting to kill Prime, which none of them actually saw, was far more convincing evidence than anything else. Privately, Optimus wondered what they would do in this situation which was becoming worse and worse by the cycle.

Megatron, in the meanwhile, was chuckling softly. Soon, those hushed chuckles turned into mocking laughter. The entire Tribunal looked down at him nervously but dared not say anything.

Finally, General Ramhorn broke Megatron's mirthful hilarity.

"Silence!" he yelled. He fixed Megatron with an intimidating stare that made the Predacon rogue stop and subside into stillness.

Megatron glared down at his seat bitterly. Perhaps the Tripredacus Council leader wasn't _completely_ on his side.

* * *

"Quite a show you put on today," complimented Baal. "You really ain't half bad."

"Your compliments are appreciated," smiled Megatron insincerely.

Baal pushed Megatron into his cell, but this time, not as harshly. He even turned off the energy bonds that held Megatron's hands together.

Megatron stretched his arms out triumphantly. Now he was able to move about with more mobility and convenience.

"Keep this act up for the next few days and I'll consider installing cable for you," said Baal. He closed the door and left.

The Predacon ex-commander sat down comfortably. The trial was done for today. He'd have plenty of time formulating a new strategy for tomorrow. Now that he had destroyed the credibility of three of the surviving Maximals, there were only four more left to go.

He'd have to be especially cautious with Optimus Primal, however. The Maximal leader was still a force to be reckoned with even now. But he would triumph in the end. He was his own lawyer in this trial and with that, he would never lose.

* * *

"Court is now in session," declared the Maximal High Judge. "Since General Ramhorn has served us yesterday, I will be arbitrator now!"

The Tribunal, most of whom were Maximal Elders, looked favorably upon the High Judge far more than they did General Ramhorn.

"Now, Megatron!" he boomed. "Did you or did you not attempt to commit genocide against the human race?"

"Your honor, I, as both defender and defendant, must ask you if mere anthropoids even count as sentient life," replied Megatron. "After all, how can destroying mindless apes count as crimes as sentient beings, I ask you? How is it any different than organic species raising livestock for slaughter and consumption?"

"You try my patience, Megatron!" growled the Maximal High Judge. "Maximal Commander Optimus Primal, is it true that Megatron attempted genocide against an early human race?"

"It is!" replied Optimus Primal, whose voice boomed even louder. "Megatron attempted to destroy them so that the humans wouldn't be able to side with the Autobots in the Great War!"

"Will you submit to a memory scan for knowledge of these early humans?" asked the High Judge.

"Most certainly!" answered Optimus.

* * *

"This is most interesting," said General Ramhorn sitting with his two cohorts, Seaclamp and Cicadacon as they watched the memory files of Optimus Primal's scan.

"Indeed," whispered General Seaclamp. "From what we have seen from these scattered memory files, the actions of Megatron on Earth are quite fascinating."

"Do you believe he attempted to commit genocide?" asked General Cicadacon skeptically. "After all, there seem to be holes in Optimus Primal's memories."

The entire Tribunal watched the memory clips with great interest. So far, the receptions were mixed. Some saw it as evidence while others were far more unconvinced.

* * *

Finally, the clips were over. Much controversy was generated from Optimus Primal's memories to say the least. Even the Maximal High Judge did not seem completely convinced of its authenticity.

"And these, you say, are the early humans Megatron attempted to massacre?" he asked doubtfully.

Indeed, the actions of Jack and Una, along with many of the other anthropoids, did not seem too sophisticated for a race that would eventually aid the Autobots.

"This is ridiculous!" cried a Predacon official. "These creatures look nothing like humans!"

Optimus sighed exasperatedly. "That's because we landed on _Prehistoric_ Earth! Right now, evolution is still taking place! It will take several millennia before they evolve into human beings!"

"And how will we know that they will evolve into humans, Optimus Primal?" asked Megatron loud enough for the Tribunal to hear. "What if they will evolve into another species of apes instead of humans? What if their lineage does not branch off into humanity but instead, reaches an evolutionary dead end? What if the anthropoids you befriended turn out to be a common species of prehistoric ape destined for extinction while the as-of-yet undiscovered human ancestors eluded you skillfully?"

"Think about this," pleaded Optimus. "Though not advanced in this stage, they still show enough intelligence to pass as semi-sentient beings. They're still evolving at this point but I guarantee that they will evolve into the very human race that help the Autobots win the Great War!"

"I'm sorry," said the Maximal High Judge woefully, "but I am afraid that we require more evidence than mere memories."

"What are you saying, your honor?" asked Optimus.

"It is true that Megatron attempted to destroy these bipeds," elucidated the High Judge. "However, we will need hard, physical evidence. Have you any DNA samples or bodies of these specimens with you?"

"No!" cried Optimus. "This is outrageous! We can't experiment on them like they're mere lab animals! Isn't it the right of all sentient beings to be free from cruel and unusual punishments like torture?"

"Yes," replied the Maximal High Judge, "but we still have no inkling as to whether or not they truly are sentient."

He sighed. As much as he wanted to believe Optimus Primal's accounts, he still had to follow the procedures set for him as High Judge. It was not as easy as sending Megatron off to jail to await punishment. There were precedents, proceedings… and many more obstacles in a multi-layered, complex bureaucracy such as this. To put it in basic terms, nothing in life was that simple.

"I'm afraid we'll need a complete body to determine whether or not these anthropoids are truly the ancestors of the human race."

Optimus Primal said nothing. This was getting nowhere.

"I'm afraid we have no body or tissue samples with us," he told the Maximal High Judge.

The Predacon generals within the Tribunal immediately slammed their gavels on their desks in combined furor.

"_Drop the charges!_" they chanted simultaneously.

The Maximal Elders in the chamber looked around nervously. Though they were not happy with appeasing the Predacon constituents around them, they did not want a full-scale revolt either. After the Maximal High Elder convened with the Tribunal, they made their decision.

"Due to the lack of evidence," said the Maximal High Judge regretfully, "we have no choice but to drop the charges of genocide against Megatron."

"This is preposterous!" cried Rhinox amidst a voice of mixed cheers and boos. "We saw Megatron's evil first-hand!"

"Do you have any evidence of him killing anything other than under-developed knuckle draggers?" demanded General Cicadacon as he rose up.

"The General has made his point," conceded the Maximal High Judge. "Have any of you witnessed Megatron actually attempting to destroy Optimus Prime?"

"No, we haven't!" cried Rhinox as he banged his hand down hard, "but you did screen me for my memory banks before the trial started and you saw how time and space were being torn apart while we were outside the Ark!"

"True," noted the High Judge, "but the actual act that Megatron committed is what we require for this trial to reach a satisfactory conclusion."

Around him, the Predacon members of the Tribunal stirred restlessly. Although they were in the minority, counting only for 40 of the committee, they still did not appreciate the Judge's thinly-veiled desire to have Megatron prosecuted. The only Predacons within the Tribunal who showed any hint of neutrality whatsoever were the Tripredacus Council. And even then, one was never sure what side they were truly on.

Throughout the chaos, Megatron merely sat contentedly. He had intended to create a controversy, but he had never expected this big of a furor within the Tribunal over his case. Perhaps he had a chance of winning this after all.

Finally he rose.

"Friends, fellow Cybertronians," he called in hopes of unifying his audience.

Slowly but surely, each member of the Tribunal turned their heads to face him with a look of awe.

"Ever since the beginning of my trial, I swore that I would represent myself in this court and that is exactly what I intend to do!" declared Megatron resolutely.

He now had everyone's undivided attention.

"Now, I have been accused of many things from being a war criminal to a genocidal maniac! However, these accusations are faulty at best. The only proof offered are scattered memories that are defective to say the least! They say that in war, only the victors are allowed to write history. This especially true in my case! I have committed theft with the golden disks, yes, but starting a war was never anything I had intentionally done!"

"That's bogus, Megatron!" yelled Cheetor. "You were the one who started the Beast Wars!"

"Oh, was I?" asked Megatron. "As I recall, you were the one who attacked us preemptively!"

"That's a load of bull, Megatron!" shouted Cheetor. "I was engaged in combat with one of your soldiers before you showed up to attack us!"

"On the contrary," laughed Megatron. "From what I remember, I met with you Maximals peaceably. I had every intention of negotiating with you but being the reckless youth you were, you pulled the trigger first!"

Cheetor was at a loss of words. Megatron then looked up at the Tribunal towards the direction of the Maximal High Judge.

"Ask him!" demanded Megatron. "Ask this impertinent adolescent if he truly did act as the spark that triggered the Beast Wars!"

The Maximal High Judge stared down at Cheetor.

"Were you the one who fired the first shot?" he asked.

A moment or two of uncomfortable silence passed before Cheetor finally confessed.

"Yes."

This caused a massive outcry from the Predacons within the Tribunal. By now, they had sided with Megatron completely. Some Maximals also glanced around nervously, unsure or whether or not they were completely correct in prosecuting Megatron.

Throughout this all, Megatron only sat patiently, waiting for the commotion to die down completely. He glanced at Cheetor who responded with a scathing glare. When the fury died down, Megatron spoke up again.

"There may indeed have been an attack on Optimus Prime," he said, "but was I the one who performed it?"

No one said a word.

"Furthermore," he continued. "How does the Beast Wars even constitute as a war? I did not have hundreds of warriors on my side to do battle daily. In fact, I had less than ten minions altogether! How could this constitute as warfare with so few soldiers on both sides, much less arraign me of war crimes?"

The Tribunal immediately began talking amongst themselves again. The general consensus seemed to be that Megatron did indeed make his point well. A few Predacons even believed that a war never even took place on prehistoric Earth at this point. The brilliant use of semantics by Megatron was endearing him further and further to the Tribunal. Optimus and his crew, by comparison, were looking more and more despondant.

"Wait a minute…" said Optimus. "There's still a chance we can indict him on the charges of manipulating time and space!"

"How?" asked Rhinox.

"Do any of you remember seeing Megatron attempting to wrest control of the original Megatron's spark?"

"No, all of us were down and out," said Cheetor. "You were the one who took him aboard the Ark."

"Precisely!" exclaimed Optimus. "I was there to witness Megatron taking the spark… through Quickstrike's perspective, that is. I don't remember the scene too clearly but if I were to subject myself to a scan, I'm certain we'd have a stronger case against Megatron!"

"What's all this?" asked Megatron as he glared in the direction of his arch enemy.

Their spirits now seemed more uplifted which made Megatron slightly uneasy.

"Your honor!" cried Optimus. "I wish to subject myself to a memory scan at once! I do believe I have convincing evidence to convict Megatron!"

"Very well," replied the Maximal High Judge.

* * *

It had not been an illuminating day for Optimus Primal and his crew. Tarantulas' mind control had been so strong that the spider drone's radio waves had been powerful enough to block out Optimus Primal's memories of Megatron. The only other person who had the correct memories was Quickstrike and he was deceased. All the Maximal Elders and Predacon generals saw was Optimus smashing Waspinator and then static. Only several cycles later, did Optimus Primal's memories resurface within the screen again and at this point, they saw him getting up groggily with Blackarachnia helping him up. They did not see Megatron attempting to control the spark of his namesake.

Now the trial was over. Rattrap and Cheetor were heading out to meet with Silverbolt.

"How did the trial go?" asked Silverbolt who sat with Rattrap and Cheetor at Rattrap's apartment.

"Lousy," replied Rattrap. "Mega-jerk's been pounding us bad!"

"This isn't like the Beast Wars where we could just shoot first and ask questions later," Cheetor sulked. "Megatron always finds the right things to say at the right time! This is his turf and he's making good use of it!"

"Yeah, the only thing we can hope for now is that he gets convicted for theft," grumbled Rattrap. "He's dodging them other accusations left and right!"

"How long of a sentence will he serve if he is to be convicted for merely theft?" asked Silverbolt.

"Well," explained Rattrap. "For common thieves, they only serve about one or two stellar cycles. As for thieves who steal planetary treasures like the golden disks, their prison terms can range from five to ten stellar cycles. And since both disks are destroyed now, I'm bettin' on him getting fifteen long stellar cycles!"

"Should we not rejoice that justice will be served in some form?" asked Silverbolt again.

"No!" shouted Rattrap who was on the verge of tears. "We're THIS close to putting him away for good and now he's stumpin' us again! I had friends back then who _died_ because of him! I ain't about to forgive and forget this ever happened and I'm really not gonna let him receive less than what he really deserves!"

Cheetor looked at Rattrap cautiously. "What're you saying, Rattrap?"

Rattrap sighed wearily as he took out his pistol and cocked it.

"I'm saying… that if the Tribunal isn't willin' to do the job, then I gotta do it myself!"

Cheetor and Silverbolt's expressions widened gravely.

"Rattrap!" exclaimed Silverbolt. "Surely you are merely joking with us? You would not go out of your way to commit such an act…?"

"He has a point, Rattrap," said Cheetor as he put his hand on Rattrap's shoulder. "If you do this and murder Megatron in cold blood, you'll be throwing your life away as well."

"I really don't care anymore," responded Rattrap emotionlessly. "I've already lived a long life. It don't matter if I have to spend the rest of my nights in jail. Besides, I'm a master escape artist so their cells won't even hold me."

"But think about it, Rattrap," insisted Cheetor. "Even if you do get out, you'll be on the constant run from the law! You may even have to leave Cybertron just to be free! Is that what you really want?"

"I don't mind explorin' the universe for the rest of my life," replied Rattrap as he walked out the door.

Silverbolt and Cheetor looked at each other.

"This is bad," stated Cheetor.

"Yes…" agreed Silverbolt. "We must stop him before he commits an act that he will regret."

* * *

It was a quiet night at the Intergalactic Prison for War Criminals. At this point, many of the guards were lax. Cybertron had the best security systems in the galaxy and there were few individuals who could get past their alarms.

As Megatron sat in his chambers to hum a pleasant song to himself, he noticed Baal walking up to his cell.

"Yes?" he inquired of his warden.

"A few extra energon rations for you tonight," said Baal as he handed them to Megatron through the reinforced bars.

"Why, thank you, of course," said Megatron courteously. He was not expecting any further special treatment.

"I have to ask you," asked Baal. "Where did you learn such impressive oratory skills?"

"Oh, such a penchant comes naturally to me, of course," explained Megatron as humbly as he could.

"Well, keep up the good entertainment and I'll see if I can give you a bigger cell, deal?"

"Agreed," Megatron concurred.

"Well, I'm off now," said Baal who walked away calmly.

Megatron smiled. The warden was not a 'bot of high morals. Indeed, if Megatron had his way, Baal would be a mere boot-licker to him. Still, Megatron did not forget how he was brutalized by his jailer previously. At the same time, however, Megatron realized that Baal was giving him much more preferential treatment than before. Torn between how to kill his oppressor, Megatron finally decided that should he escape, he would give Baal a quick and relatively painless death.

Finally, the Predacon criminal allowed himself to lie down. It would do him much good to get some rest before his continued trial tomorrow.

* * *

Several trained soldiers lay on the floor unconscious. Not a gunshot was fired and not a single alarm was tipped off. It was the work of someone truly skilled.

Rattrap snuck past two more guards but not before he hit them with the sleeping gas hidden within his demolition charges. There were more to his charges than mere bombs as there were many other functions they could perform efficiently.

Rattrap tiptoed carefully towards the large complex. It would only be a matter of time before he could sneak in and take out Megatron for good. There was nothing standing in his path now.

As he adjusted to the sound before him, he heard a familiar sound. It was the flapping of wings.

"_So Silverbolt's come here to stop me, huh?_" thought Rattrap.

The diminutive Maximal vowed that not even his own comrades would stop him. Soon enough, he heard several laws crawling towards his direction.

"_That dame's here too, eh?_"

A batch of webbing quickly wrapped itself around his legs and yanked him to the ground.

As Rattrap spun his head around, he saw exactly what he expected to see, Blackarachnia in beast mode, dragging him towards her.

"Sorry, cheese-eater," she said. "I can't let you do this!"

"And I'm sorry too, toots," he said as his legs came in close.

Using his quick reflexes, he flipped open his energon blade and sliced Blackarachnia's webbing off. As soon as his legs were free, he kicked out and struck Blackarachnia in the center of her head, knocking her over on her back.

Rattrap got up and ran towards the prison complex. Soon, the roar of jet engines were heard as Cheetor flew down towards him. Rattrap rolled to the side to avoid being snatched by the younger Maximal.

"I didn't wanna have to do this," he said sadly as he aimed up high and fired several shots in the air.

None of the shots struck their target as Rattrap missed intentionally. However, he hoped to dissuade Cheetor from getting involved even further.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you do this," a voice from behind him said.

As Rattrap whirled around, Silverbolt knocked the gun out of his hand. Immediately afterwards, the fuzor grabbed Rattrap and held him tightly.

"Let go, ya overgrown mutt!" growled Rattrap as he drove his elbow into Silverbolt's exposed side.

This caused Silverbolt to cry out in pain and loosen his grip. Rattrap quickly kicked Silverbolt's feet out from under him. Before Rattrap could turn and run, Cheetor pounced on top of him, followed by Blackarachnia.

Being piled on by two Transmetal II's was not a pleasant experience as Rattrap tried his best to squirm out but failed miserably. As Cheetor and Blackarachnia held him down, Silvebolt strode forth to confront his comrade.

"Why, Rattrap?" he asked. "Do you not know what you are doing?"

"I know plenty, Bolts!" spat Rattrap. "I know what'll happen to me so just let me go and finish the job!"

"I'm… sorry," said Silverbolt. "Though Megatron is without a doubt scum, you are engaging in an act of murder… no, assassination!"

Rattrap struggled in desperation as Blackarachnia and Cheetor looked down at him pleadingly.

"Please, Rattrap," persuaded Silverbolt. "Right now, we will escape and get you out of here without anyone every knowing. However, you must promise us you will not attempt anything like this ever again!"

"Please, Rattrap," pleaded Cheetor. "We've been your friends through thick and through thin! We'd never do anything to harm you! All we're doing is trying to prevent you from becoming Cybertron's No. 1 most wanted!"

"Listen to him," begged Blackarachnia. "You're made of much better stuff than Megatron! Assassinations are his game! Do you really want to sink down to his level?"

"I…"

"Please, let the law handle him!" encouraged Silverbolt. "Megatron cannot escape justice forever!"

Rattrap stopped struggling finally. Cheetor and Blackarachnia let go of him.

"You know I can't ever forgive what he's done."

"We know, Rattrap," said Cheetor, "and neither can we!"

"Cheetor is correct," added Silverbolt. "Megatron's atrocities are too numerous for any of us to casually set aside. However, we should not become the very monster that he is in order to bring him to judgment."

"Please, think this over, RT!" pleaded Cheetor.

Several cycles passed before Rattrap spoke again.

"Alright… let's get outta here!"

Cheetor, Silverbolt, and Blackarachnia smiled as they heard the change in tone in Rattrap's voice. No longer did they hear the cynical old Transformer who wanted to throw his life away. The wise-cracking jokester they had always known was back.

Their happiness was short-lived, however as several lights flashed upon them.

"How you managed to get past my security forces is a shocker," said Baal who stepped out through several lines of guards, "but rest assured you won't be leaving this place as easily as you got in!"

The four Maximals raised their hands in the air.

"Hey, guys, remember what I said about how I was gonna explore the universe?" asked Rattrap.

"Yes," replied Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, and Cheetor simultaneously.

"Well, you wanna join me?"

Upon realization, slow, devious smiles crossed the faces of each Beast Warrior. This did not escape Baal's attention.

"What are you smiling for?" he demanded. "Tell me now or be vaporized!"

Without warning, Silverbolt blasted two wing missiles towards the guards, causing to them to scatter from the explosion. Cheetor and Blackarachnia swung into action and beat back the guards left and right. Baal cried out for his sentinels to maintain order but it was in vain. He took out his plasma gun and aimed it towards Silverbolt only to have it blasted out of his hand. Soon, he was face to face with Rattrap's pistol.

"You wouldn't… would you?" implore Baal desperately.

"Hmm… nah," replied Rattrap as he put the gun down.

Baal sighed in relief. The relief was short-lived as a swift kick to the groin made him fall over in agony.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Silverbolt distastefully.

"Hey, the guy was a prick!" cried Rattrap. "I could tell just by looking at him!"

"Guess we'd better spend our nine lives away from this planet from now on," said Cheetor somewhat dejectedly.

"Don't worry, kid!" assured Rattrap. "I know plenty of colonies where we can catch some R&R and not have to worry about being chased!"

"Lead the way, mighty mouse," said Blackarachnia as she and Cheetor stood aside to allow Rattrap to show the way.

"And I barely got to know my own planet," mused Silverbolt lightly before disappearing into the night with his friends.

* * *

"Did you see the news?" asked Rhinox as the much larger Optimal Optimus Primal sat next to him.

"I did," replied Optimus grimly. "Silverbolt, Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and Rattrap are now fugitives from this planet…"

"Which leaves the two of us…" whispered Rhinox.

Their spirits were nearly broken. It was clear that Megatron was winning the trial but not only that, their friends were now missing. Nothing was going right for any of them.

They watched in silence as Megatron entered into his podium full of exuberance.

The Tribunal watched Megatron in awe. It was soon becoming clear that the Tribunal was split in its decision to prosecute Megatron. The Predacons, which composed of 40 of the Tribunal, cheered wildly as Megatron came into their sights. Though the Maximals made up the majority, about a quarter of them were seemingly on Megatron's side as well.

General Ramhorn spoke up as the judge for the day.

"My bretheren!" he shouted. "Today should be the day we act! We've heard all the accusations! We've seen the so-called _evidence_! All we've received a load of bunk from so-called scientists who have no theories or proper explanations to all the things we've seen! True, there was an assassination attempt on Optimus Prime, but we did not see it happen. If it did happen, time would undoubtedly change! Has it, my bretheren? No, it has not! We are still alive and well!"

Most of the Tribunal nodded in agreement. Megatron merely whistled innocently.

"What sort of _war crime_ Megatron really being accused of?" demanded Ramhorn in a thunderous voice. "From what I've seen, these six Maximals come back with Megatron in chains! Where are the Predacons from the Beast Wars? We are told that they are dead but how do we really know the truth? These surviving Maximals could very well be hiding something from us! What if it wasn't really Megatron who perpetuated these horrible deeds that they say he committed?"

More murmurs stirred amongst the Tribunal.

"The Tribunal has reached a unanimous decision to acquit Megatron of the charges of genocide and crimes against sentient life!"

Pandemonium seemed to erupt. General Ramhorn's use of the word _unanimous_ was not quite correct in its estimation. The 40 of the Tribunal consisting primarily of Predacons had sided with Megatron. Another 15 out of the 60 of Maximals within the council had supported Megatron. Altogether, 55 of the Tribunal had agreed to acquit Megatron the charges of war crimes. While nowhere near _unanimous_, it was still a clear majority decision.

Optimus finally stood up and turned towards the exit.

"Where are you going, Optimus?" asked Rhinox as dread gnawed at his stomach.

"I've had enough of this," Optimus Primal huffed as he finally turned and walked away.

Rhinox couldn't blame him. Megatron had turned his trial into a self-parody of justice.

"However, Megatron!" cautioned General Ramhorn. "For your theft of Cybertron's planetary treasures, the Golden Disks, you will be held responsible! A sentence of ten stellar cycles within the confines of East Cybertron's maximum security confines will be your punishment!"

Rhinox's breathing rate became slightly more normal. At least Megatron would be punished for _something._ Still… it was a slap in the face to every being that had died in the Beast Wars for Megatron not to be sentenced as the monster and war criminal he was.

The Maximal High Judge's face was contorted in anger. Several other members of the Tribunal booed and hissed at the decision but it was too late. The decision was final.

Cybertron's justice system had failed.

* * *

Overall, it was a decent plan, concluded Megatron. He did not get everything he wanted out of the deal, but it was good enough, considering the circumstances he was faced with.

The security vessel he was in now flew towards the prison where he would be kept for the next ten years. All he needed to do now was formulate an escape plan so that he could leave Cybertron temporarily to start over with a new contingency plot to conquer the planet. It was all he could do at the moment but it still gave him hope.

The ship rocked.

"What was that?" demanded Megatron.

"We're being fired at!" yelled one of the security officers watching over him.

Another shot struck the ship, destroying its wings and sending it hurtling towards the ground.

* * *

"Where am I?" demanded Megatron.

He had just woken up for apparent stasis lock. His surroundings looked nothing like a cell.

"I'm not dead, am I?" he wondered aloud.

"No, master," a voice replied. "You are among kindred spirits."

"Kindred spirits, hmm?" asked Megatron was he surveyed his surroundings.

It looked like a secret training facility of some sort. The Predacon next to him put a hand on his shoulder.

"Who are you?" asked Megatron.

"My name is Ravus," replied the Predacon. "You are now within the headquarters of the Predacon Liberation Corps."

The name struck a chord with Megatron. If he could lead an organization this powerful, he'd have Cybertron under his iron fist!

"We've been watching your exploits in front of the Tribunal," Ravus explained. "You were quite something out there in front of those senile Maximal Elders and middle-of-the-road Predacon lackeys."

"I'm gratified," said Megatron. "Tell me, were my speeches broadcasted all over Cybertron?"

"They were," replied Ravus, "which is why we took such great interest in you."

"Yes?" asked Megatron who liked where this conversation seemed to be heading.

"Come with me," requested Ravus.

Megatron followed him with great interest.

They arrived within a darkened room that was scarcely lit. Megatron could make out a large mass of metal within the room but was unable to identify what it was exactly.

With a simple flick, Ravus turned the lights on.

"My old body!" exclaimed Megatron.

There it was, his previous form encased in beast mode. It seemed impervious to any form of rust. The metallic wings still glistened while the dragon's head seemed perfectly intact. It was in perfect condition.

Ravus finally stared at Megatron, getting to the point at last. The words were simple but they carried much weight.

"We want you to lead us. Will you?"

"Absolutely, my dear Ravus!" boomed Megatron.

* * *

Several months had passed. So far, nothing was heard of from Megatron. The Tribunal had declared Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Rattrap, and Cheetor as the true war criminals who had disrupted time and space. Optimus and Rhinox were spared the charges but the weight of the Tribunal's decisions still hung heavy over their minds. Their lives would never be the same again.

Rattrap and the three other Maximals had not been discovered as of yet. Rumor had it that they had retreated to modern-day Earth as refugees. No governmental authority had conducted any research into the matter yet but it seemed that as long as the four rogue Maximals kept their distance from the Cybertron, they would be relatively safe.

The Tripredacus Council stayed as aloof and as alert as ever. Whatever secrets they had, they kept to themselves. It was unclear how much leverage they had within the Tribunal or amongst the Maximal Elders but one thing was certain. They were and still are more than meets the eye.

The Maximal High Judge had since retired and disappeared from public life permanently.

* * *

"Everything is ready?" asked Megatron, who now stood triumphantly in dragon mode.

The crimson colors he adorned complimented the night sky. He had never felt so alive or so powerful. It had taken several months of planning but now everything was falling into place. Nothing would stop his ambitions… not the Maximal Elders… not the Tripredacus Council… and especially not Optimus Primal! Cybertron was his and his alone for the taking!

He looked down from the citadel that he and his followers stood upon. Every last member of the Predacon Liberation Force had gotten the same beast mode that he had. Some of them had their own unique twists to their dragon modes. Some had longer dorsal spines, some had more spiked foreheads, and some had more elongated tails than others. All in all, they were a diverse, yet similar batch. The only difference was that Megatron towered over each and every one of them.

"Halt!" a voice from behind him rang out like a candle in an onslaught of darkness.

"My, if it isn't the Maximal High Judge," chuckled Megatron. "Come here to decree my sentence?"

"Precisely, monster!" declared the former High Judge. "Though the Tribunal has shown you mercy, I will not! Court has not adjourned just yet, Megatron! Prepare yourself!"

A large blade appeared from the sleeves of his robe. The Predacons around Megatron hissed in anger and surrounded the Maximal High Judge.

"No!" declared Megatron. "He is mine!"

"Justice will be served only with your life!" declared the High Judge as he rushed forward and slashed Megatron with all his might.

"Unimpressive, Maximal!" chuckled Megatron.

The sword had broken immediately on contact with Megatron's powerful armor.

"Pathetic old fool! Feel the dragon's wrath!" the Predacon leader howled as he struck the Maximal High Judge with a spell of fire from his jaws.

The Maximal High Judge shrieked in agony as he was doused with an onslaught of flames. Megatron grabbed the former judge with his vice-like tail and hurled him off the building, sending him plummeting several thousand feet from the Citadel.

His followers glared down at Cybertron with malice and dark intent. They were like demonic gargoyles leering down from afar, ready to pounce and send the entire planet into chaos.

Megatron were not merely content with the conquest of Cybertron at this point. There was a time in his life where he would have merely turned the Maximals into second-class citizens under the rule of a Predacon aristocracy. That no longer rang true. All he could think about now was how much he wanted to destroy the Maximal race… to cleanse Cybertron of its festering disease forever!

He did not think of himself as cruel or evil for such an act, no. He was doing the Maximals a great favor by his offer to annihilate them completely.

With an ear-shattering roar, Megatron gave the signal. Thousands upon thousands of his followers flew down like fallen angels now transformed into winged demons, intent on razing every last Maximal to the ground and conquering Cybertron in a puff of smoke.

"Now is the time! Let the cleansing of this planet begin!" he shouted as he spread his magnificent wing span and flew down to join them.

The age of Maximal rule was over.

The End.


End file.
